We follow up on some of the most innovative Linux powered devices at CES, and this discuss Google buying Nest Labs. Is the future of the “Internet of Things” locked down to proprietary devices running locked down software? And what are the ramifications for the home?

Plus some practical thoughts on Steam OS, 4k Displays coming to Linux, a new way to interface with your PC, and your feedback.

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Show Notes:

FU

• My most exciting feature for SteamMachines

• Gnome still has a long uphill battle ahead of them.

• DigitalOcean posted droplets distro usage statistics. Pretty much what you would expect

The Closed Internet of Things

From the crockpot to your smoke detector, the famous “Internet of Things” is slowly, and half hazardly coming into reality. Unfortunately it’s dominated by sealed off devices you have no direct control over. As these devices fill our homes, are we taking something fundamental away from the homeowner, and from the open source community?

• Google buys Nest for $3.2B — its key to the connected home | VentureBeat | Deals | by Devindra Hardawar

Google just announced that it\’s snapping up Nest, maker of smart thermostat and smoke detectors, for $3.2 billion in cash. Nest has raised around $80 million from investors including Shasta Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, and Google Ventures.

• Google purchases Nest for $3.2 billion | The Verge

It\’s not yet clear exactly how Google plans to use Nest, but the company obviously sees it as an important part of its future. A combination of Nest\’s home solutions coupled with Google\’s language recognition could give Google its strongest path yet into your home. \”Google will help us fully realize our vision of the conscious home and allow us to change the world faster than we ever could if we continued to go it alone,\” writes Fadell on the Nest blog. \”We\’ve had great momentum, but this is a rocket ship.\”

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